The photo of Johnny Tipton, left, and Hardin County Sheriff JT Fricker, was posted on Hardin County Sheriff’s Facebook page and distributed widely; it shows how an “old-school” sheriff can handle a wanted fugitive’s arrest without involving gunplay or a standoff, as Fricker simply called Tipton out of the camper he was hiding in at a rural Cave-in-Rock location.
WHITE CO., Ill. - White County State's Attorney Denton Aud has announced the sentencing of the second of three accused with breaking out of the county jail back in June.
Johnny E. Tipton, 62, of Elizabethtown, pled guilty to the Class 2 felony offense of Escape in October. Class 2 felonies, Aud said, have a sentencing range of 3 to 7 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections or up to 4 years of probation or conditional discharge.
Tipton was ultimately sentenced to 6 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections with 2 years of Mandatory Supervised Release (formerly known as parole).
Tipton was also ordered to pay restitution of $750 to the White County Sheriff’s Department and $64 to Huck’s (Oak Street, Carmi, location). Aud advised that the Huck's restitution stemmed from lottery tickets Tipton stole from them at some point in time. Tipton was represented by Public Defender Brian Shinkle. Judge T. Scott Webb was the presiding judge.